Strengthening Access to Justice for the Poor in the Russian Federation

January 2009 - December 2011

The project run by Institute of Law and Public Policy (Moscow) is aimed at ensuring better access to the judicial system and highlighting the needs of the most poor and vulnerable social groups in the participating regions (Leningrad and Perm Regions).

Under the project agreement, Citizens' Watch has established network of 10 legal aid centers in the Leningrad Region.

The list of the legal aid services provided by the legal aid centers:

Consultation on the legal questions;

Drafting a conclusion on the legal questions;

Drafting complaints, suits and petitions to the courts;

Drafting appeal, cassational and supervision petitions;

Representation of the interests of the poor people in civil and administrative litigation processes and in the cases of private prosecutions and victim representation;

Representation of the poor people interests in the enforcement proceedings;

Representation of the poor people in the governmental and local governmental entities;

Delivering legal aid to the houses of the poor.

Groups of people who are eligible to receive legal aid within the Project in the established legal aid centers:

Disabled (I and II group);

Veterans of the World War II;

Non-working retired people who receive the state pension;

Aged and disabled people who live in the state sponsored institutions;

Jobless;

Illegal immigrants;

Homeless;

Inmates;

Released from the correctional institutions not more than 6 months;

Orphans and children from the boarding schools (until they reach age of 21);

Children until age of 18;

Citizens who are qualified for legal aid within the framework of the article 50 of Civil Procedure Code;

Others whose income is less than 10 thousand per month per person;

People who though posses money for paying the attorneys fees but currently can not use them (due to the objective reasons);